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2016 SGFA Cup Final
The 2016 SGFA Cup Final was the 36th final of the SGFA Cup, the main domestic knockout cup competition in Gregorian football. The match was contested on May 28, 2016 at the National Cricket Ground in Warner Bay, between Bonneville United and Swifton Athletic. Bonneville United won 4-1 to claim their first SGFA Cup title since 2006 and their sixth overall. Background This was Bonneville United's ninth appearance in the final, putting them one ahead of FC Chapman for most by any Gregorian club. They have won five of their previous eight finals (one behind Chapman, who have won six). Their last appearance in the final was 2012, where they lost 2-1 to Banks City. Their last victory in the competition was in 2006, where they defeated Helena United in the final, 3-0. Swifton Athletic's only previous appearance in the final was in 2004, resulting in a 1-0 victory over Holland County to give Athletic their only major trophy to date. Athletic were the seventh League B club all-time to reach the final, and the third in as many years after Port St. Christopher Pirates in 2014 and Banks City in 2015. Both sides had to make significant personnel changes for the match. United were without captain Caleb Chambers, who could not recover in time from aggravating a torn meniscus he suffered in November. Karim El-Dardiry took his place in the starting eleven, while Marcel Manninger wore the captain's armband in what would ultimately be his last match for the club. Athletic, meanwhile, could not play midfielder Kinsley Noel as he was on loan from the team's opponents, United. In his place came 18 year-old rookie Marc-Aaron Brisset who started at attacking midfield, moving captain Joey Guthrie to holding midfield. Athletic were also playing on a mere two days' rest, having defeated Union Town in a penalty shoot-out just three days prior in the promotion playoff final to earn promotion back to League A for the first time since 2012-13. Match Officials Jelani Washington was announced as the match referee by the SGFA on May 1, 2016. It would be Washington's first SGFA Cup Final. Summary Bonneville United applied pressure from their very first possession and went ahead just 4 and a half minutes into the match when Karim El-Dardiry hurdled over a sliding challenge from Conrad Chancellor and whipped a low cross through the penalty area which Chase Morton tapped home at the far post. Swifton Athletic responded well to the early goal, going immediately on the offensive to find an equalizer. Aurélien Rémy narrowly missed to the left in the 20th minute after beating his man, but six minutes later, Athletic drew level in controversial fashion as Brisset collided with United's Cassim Butcher at the byline. As the United players protested, Brisset played on and crossed to Marc Henderson who finished unopposed. Athletic rode their momentum into the half-time interval, with Rémy denied a shot on goal by Manninger right before the whistle. Just 9 minutes after the break, however, United were back on top when El-Dardiry rose above Athletic defender Joseph Laroche to head home from Andrés Guzmán's cross. Athletic went for an attacking substitution, replacing Tayler Roberts with Anguillan international Darden Beckett, but that left the League B club exposed at the back and Guzmán extended United's lead on 70 minutes when he spun away from Alec Ross and fired into the top corner from just inside the 18-yard box. With 10 minutes to go, United made a double substitution, bringing Greg Holloway and goalkeeper Thomas Leichmann on for likely their final Cup matches for United. Five minutes later, Holloway broke free on a counter attack and beat Robert de Vries to the keeper's right. On the victory dais, captain Manninger deferred the hoisting of the cup to Holloway and Leichmann, who jointly held it aloft to celebrate the club's first major silverware since 2012. Details El-Dardiry Guzmán Holloway |goals2 =Henderson }} Aftermath While Leichmann did indeed retire following the match, Holloway elected to stay on at Bonneville United for another season. United qualified for the 2016 SGFA Shield and, for the third consecutive year, faced rivals FC Chapman. However, as they had done the previous year, Chapman won the match. Swifton Athletic's promotion to League A meant that the two clubs would meet in league competition in 2016-17. The first meeting between the sides was held at Ford Stadium on November 20, 2016, resulting in a 1-0 win to United on Zane Brackney's 90th-minute winner. Category:Match pages Category:Bonneville United F.C. matches Category:Swifton Athletic Club matches Category:2015-16 in Gregorian football